(Switzerland) SA LBMA/LPPM Independent Limited Assurance Report
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Ernst & Young SA Téléphone: +41 58 286 56 56 Place de Pont-Rouge, 1 Téléfax: +41 58 286 56 57 Case postale 1575 www.ey.com/ch 1211 Genève 26 MKS (Switzerland) SA Attn. Mr. Marwan Shakarchi Prom. de Saint-Antoine 10, 1204 Genève Geneva, 30 March 2021 Independent Limited Assurance Report on MKS(Switzerland) SA's Compliance Report 2020 General information We were engaged by MKS (Switzerland) SA (“MKS”) to perform a limited assurance engagement on MKS’s Compliance Report dated 25 March 2021 for the reporting period from 1 January to 31 December 2020 (the “Compliance Report”). The LBMA Responsible Gold v8 11.12.2018, Silver v1 01.09.2017 and LPPM Responsible Platinum & Palladium Guidance v2 01.02.2020 (the “Guidance”) are designed for precious metal refiners. The MKS PAMP Group, which operates two refineries among its entities, voluntarily implement the LBMA Responsible Gold and Silver Guidance to other group companies around the world which are involved in the precious metals business in addition to its refineries. As a result MKS (Switzerland) SA which is the flagship entity of the MKS PAMP Group, has then decided to be voluntarily audited on its compliance with the Guidance to all precious metals sourced. Management‘s responsibilities The management of MKS is responsible for the preparation and presentation of the Compliance Report in accordance with the Guidance. This responsibility includes establishing appropriate risk management and internal controls from which the reported information is derived and includes conformance with Steps 1 to 5 of the Guidance. The criteria identified by the management as relevant for demonstrating compliance with the Guidance are the activities described within the Compliance Report. Our responsibility Our responsibility is to carry out a limited assurance engagement in order to express a conclusion based on the work performed. We conducted our assurance engagement in accordance with the International Standard on Assurance Engagements ISAE 3000 Assurance Engagements other than Audits or Reviews of Historical Financial Information issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and the guidance set out in the LBMA Responsible Sourcing Programme - Third Party Audit Guidance for ISAE 3000 Auditors v1 11.12.2018 & LPPM Responsible Source Programme – Third Party Audit Guidance for ISAE 3000 Auditors v1 15.10.2018 (the “Audit Guidance”). This standard requires that we plan and perform this engagement to obtain a limited level of assurance. The extent of evidence-gathering procedures performed in a limited assurance engagement is less than that for a reasonable assurance engagement, and therefore a lower level of assurance is provided. This report has been prepared for MKS for the purpose of assisting the management in determining whether MKS has complied with the Guidance and for no other purpose. Our assurance report is made solely to MKS in accordance with the terms of our engagement. We do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than MKS for our work, or for the conclusions we have reached in the assurance report. We refer to the fact that the Compliance Report subject to our assurance engagement comprises the Annex “Countries of origin of precious metals”. In accordance with the Audit Guidance, the treatment of the Annex detailing the countries of origin of precious metals has to be submitted respectively to the LBMA & LPPM Executives only and does not need to be disclosed publicly. Limited assurance procedures performed We have planned and performed our work to obtain all the evidence, information and explanations considered necessary in relation to the above scope. These procedures included: ► Enquiries of management to gain an understanding of MKS’s processes and risk management protocols in place; ► Enquiries of staff responsible for the preparation of the Company’s Compliance Report; ► Review of policies, procedures and internal controls that MKS has in place to conform to the Guidance; ► Review of a selection of the supporting documentation, including supplier counterparty due diligence file and transaction’s documentation; ► Review of the Compliance Report. We believe that the evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our conclusion. Inherent limitations Non-financial information, such as that included in the Refiner’s Compliance Report, is subject to more inherent limitations than financial information, given the more qualitative characteristics of the subject matter and the methods used for determining such information. The absence of a significant body of established practice on which to draw allows for the selection of different but acceptable measurement techniques that can result in materially different measurements and can impact comparability. The methods used by Refiners to comply with the Guidance may differ. It is important to read the MKS’s Responsible Precious Metal Policy available on MKS’s website (www.mks.ch). Independence and competency statement In conducting our engagement, we have complied with the applicable requirements of the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants issued by the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants. In conducting our engagement, we confirm that we satisfy the criteria for assurance providers as set out in the Audit Guidance to carry out the assurance engagement. Opinion Based on the limited assurance procedures performed, as described above, nothing has come to our attention that would lead us to believe that MKS’s Compliance Report for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2020, does not in all material respects describe fairly the activities undertaken during the year to demonstrate compliance, and management’s overall conclusion contained therein, is not in accordance with the requirements of the LBMA and LPPM Guidance and Audit Guidance. Ernst & Young Ltd Partner Senior Manager Enclosure: Copy of the Compliance Report dated 25 March 2021 MKS (Switzerland) SA LBMA/LPPM Responsible Sourcing Guidances’ Compliance Report Introduction MKS (Switzerland) SA is active in the sourcing of precious metals for the MKS PAMP GROUP. We source from recycled and mined precious metals supply chains in over 40 countries. Regarding the mined precious metals supply chain, we source mainly from large well-established industrial mines located in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. We are proud to have extended this year our supply chain to source from responsible small-scale operations and support these local activities. Supply chain due diligence has always been a key focus for the MKS PAMP GROUP. MKS (Switzerland) SA strives to continuously improve its own processes and practices as well as leading the industry to further enhance due diligence standards and practices. The LBMA Responsible Gold and Silver Guidances as well as the LPPM Responsible Platinum and Palladium Guidance have been established for Good Delivery Refiners to adopt high standards of due diligence to combat systematic or widespread abuses of human rights, to avoid contributing to conflict and to comply with high standards of anti-money laundering and combating terrorist financing practice. In addition, the LBMA Responsible Gold Guidance has been further enhanced to recognise the increasing importance of having a strong corporate governance as well as addressing environmental and sustainability responsibilities. The MKS PAMP GROUP, operates two refineries among its entities, and leads by example on Responsible Sourcing by • making it a central tenet of its Group policies and operating Procedures. • stringently applying those guidances to all Group companies around the world which are involved in the precious metal business in addition to its refineries. • applying the requirements of the most stringent guidance, the LBMA Responsible Gold Guidance, to all precious metals sourced. As a result, MKS (Switzerland) SA (“MKS” or “we”), which is the flagship entity of the MKS PAMP GROUP, has implemented the LBMA Responsible Gold Guidance in 2012. All precious metals feedstock sourced by MKS, which is sent for refining to the MKS PAMP GROUP refineries, PAMP SA and MMTC PAMP India Private Limited, comply fully with the LBMA Responsible Gold and Silver Guidances as well as the LPPM Responsible Platinum and Palladium Guidance requirements. MKS has voluntarily decided to be audited on its responsible sourcing practices since July 2012. In addition, MKS is a Swiss financial intermediary subject to the Swiss AML regulation and supervised by a self- regulatory organisation approved by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority. As such, we are audited on a yearly basis by third parties to assess our compliance with the Swiss AML regulation; including processes, due diligence carried out as well as monitoring of relationships and transactions. Table 1: Company’s details Dealer’s name MKS (Switzerland) SA Location Promenade St-Antoine 10, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland Reporting period January 1st 2020 to 31 December 2020 Precious metals in the scope of the LBMA/LPPM Gold, Silver, PGM Responsible Sourcing audit Date of Report 25 March, 2021 Senior Management responsible for this report Marwan Shakarchi, Chief Executive Officer This report summarizes how MKS (Switzerland) SA has complied with the requirements of the LBMA Responsible Gold and Silver Guidances, of the LPPM Responsible Platinum and Palladium Guidance during the year 2020 for all types of precious metals sourced, as well as the extra